Broken
by The Lotus Black
Summary: Shadow is a detective that receives a lead on a serial murderer. When he finds his whereabouts, he has fled. There is one remaining survivor. But, can this person be trusted?
1. Part One

I wanted to try out something a little more violent. I hope it's interesting to everyone. XD

**Broken  
****Part One**

It was three in the morning. Heavy rain outside made it difficult to see anything. It was like this most of the time where I live. It's either rainy or extremely hot. Sometimes to the point where it's hard to concentrate. You lose focus. And, everything around you seems to be melting in the heat of the day.

I received a call from the office. I was half awake, so I didn't understand the full extent of the problem. Someone had tipped off one of our officers. You know, gave him some useless information about a serial killer we've been trying to snag for the past year. Damn bastard gets away at the last minute. Doesn't leave anything behind. Just dead bodies. Anyway, turns out the tip was dead on. A couple of our forces were down there already. They had secured the place off so that slippery bitch couldn't get away. They called me to come down and help out.

About a year ago, I had just started out being a detective. I had nothing else to do than sit on my ass all day or help save the town from Eggman. I decided to let Sonic do his job and find my own. So, there I was. On my first case with a man we called Stewy. He was this big, stout cat that constantly ordered me around. He called me names: 'Dumb-fuck', 'Hedgie', 'Pussy'; anything he could think of that would insult me. I hated him.

Unfortunately, we were to check out a local residence that had been the scene of a brutal murder. I've seen plenty of dead people in my life, but nothing like this. This was inhumane. It was disgusting. I nearly vomited. The victim was a young girl, probably in her early twenties. She was lying naked on the bed. She had been tied to the post with yellow rope and duck tape. Her mouth had been sown shut. Her eyes were gorged out. She had cuts and gashes all over her body. Stewy laughed. He called her murderer a mastermind. No traces. Whoever killed her was defiantly experienced.

The next day, Stewy went missing. He turned up about a week later, dead. Just the same as that poor girl. He was hung from the ceiling by a large meat hook lodged in his chest. About a month after we found him, the Commander issued me a new partner. 'Fresh meat', he said. He was a short, skinny, white hedgehog. He was named Silver.

I'll admit it: I'd rather have to work with this kid than that fat cat. But, he was too naïve and retarded at times. I couldn't tell if he was playing me for a fool. Then again, he might just be an idiot.

Fate took him from me too. He's still missing, but we haven't pursued his case. To tell you the truth, no one really cared. A few weeks ago I received yet another new partner. He was a black wolf. He didn't talk much. The office called him Meat, seeing as how he was a carnivorous animal.

When I got down to the killer's hideout, my partner was already there. He was shivering in the rain and wrapping his coat around him. An officer walked over to us and explained the situation. The killer was inside. They sealed off all the exits, but there was a good chance he was already out of town. He told us they had found a series of tunnels underneath the building. The paths stretched in every direction and it would take days to figure out where they led.

Yep. He was gone. The killer had escaped. Again. Damn, sometimes I wish I was still fighting with Sonic. At least Eggman never ran off like this.

Meat and I, along with a group of officers, breached the building. It was an old hospital that was once used to house tuberculosis patients. It was off limits and anyone found inside would be arrested. A perfect place for a sicko like this to hide, huh? Each room was filled with its own gruesome scene. Some were more violent than others. We dusted for fingerprints, took pictures, all that shit. We found nothing. Not a single damn trace.

I continued to look though, by myself on the third floor. I don't know, I guess I was so desperate in getting this guy in jail that I refused to give up. I tried to open the double doors at the far end of the hall, but they were locked. A spark of hope went through my mind. He might be in there. I kicked the door down, gun drawn and pointed at the darkness. However, when I flipped the lights on, I didn't find the murderer. I found Silver. Alive.

He looked terrified. I figured he thought I was the killer. He relaxed when I untied him. I asked him if he was alright. He had a few cuts and bruises, a sore neck, and an injured wrist. He told me he hadn't eaten in a few days. After he had nourishment he began to tell me what happened.

It was a regular day after work. He was tired, as always, greeted his girlfriend, and watched a bit of TV to calm his nerves. He had fallen asleep while flipping through the channels. About an hour later, he was woken by a loud noise coming from the kitchen. When he looked over he was blindfolded and struck on the head with something hard. A bat, he supposed. He awoke sometime later. At first he didn't realize he was alive as the blindfold still remained on his face.

The poor kid stared crying. He told me everything that he saw. The way the killer tortured these people was inhumane. He beat them, raped them, stabbed them. He did anything that he knew would bring harm to them. After he was done, Silver said he hung them from meat hooks. Buckets were placed under their bodies to catch the falling blood. He didn't know what the bastard needed it for. When it came his turn, the blindfold was removed. He still remembered what he looked like.

Now we have a lead. We have an appearance. It'll be much easier to catch this guy now. I wished we found him soon. Maybe I would've been able to save someone.

Regardless, I left the room to give Silver time alone with the officer and artist. I decided to meet up with the others in the basement. It was cold, and there was a soft breeze flowing in from one of the tunnels. A few of the officers had followed it, but it didn't lead to anywhere important. All other exits had been sealed off. Most of the tunnels down here were paths to storage rooms.

I don't understand. If he had no way to escape, then where could he have gone? We did another search. Meat and I were on the second floor. He checked in the rooms to our left, and I to our right. I looked everywhere: under the beds, in the closets, outside the window, and in practically ever corner of every room. We found nothing. They found nothing. It was too strange to pass up. When the sun rose, I volunteered to stay the remainder of the day. Silver said he felt better if I was with him, since we had known each other for a while now.

We were strictly told to stay in the lobby. Silver sat on the couch they had provided while I scanned the bulletin boards for anything of interest. Some of the papers were dated ten years ago. Others were almost as recent as a week. My mind was in a jumbled mess. This person was a mastermind indeed. Had he changed the dates?

I noticed a calendar near the entrance. It was the current month, the current year, and the day was circled using red ink. It said: 'Visitation'. He must've been expecting us. Perhaps he took Silver as a hostage to lure us in. This could all be just a trap. I looked at him. He reacted like a normal survivor would: eyes cast down at the floor, arms wrapped around himself, shivering at the memories. He didn't seem to know anything. He was just a poor victim.

An hour later Meat brought him breakfast. I was too busy to eat. I was seated at a table in a room near the lobby. It had a large window so I was able to see what was going on, and to keep a close eye on Silver. I studied the calendar as well as some of the notes I had taken from the boards. I was comparing the handwriting. They matched. The next thing I had to figure out was why. Why would someone do this? I leaned back into my chair, shaking my head. I didn't know. I couldn't understand it.

The day dragged on like this. I was stuck in that room, thinking. Silver had fallen asleep. Meat was helping the other officers carry out the body bags. We were trying to clean up a big mess until I realized we were making a bigger one. He wanted us to stay here. He wanted to distract us. Why? Because there was another murder taking place somewhere. Most likely, he had escaped through one of the windows, possibly even dressed as an officer, to sneak back into the city.

I tried to get hold of the Commander. The phone was dead. When I asked one of the officers, I was arrested. They accused me of being the murderer. Silver was awake by now, watching this. He had given them my description. It was my face he described. Ironically enough, everyone that had been murdered, or at least had their faces in tact, had known me at some point. They said it was too much of a coincidence and threw me in jail.

Silver's going to regret this when I get out.


	2. Part Two

Oh shit, I forgot my disclaimer.

Yeah, I'm supposed to be taking a break from writing. But, I can't help it. DX

**Broken  
****Part Two**

Humans can be incredibly stupid at times. They threw me into a cell with bars I could easily slip through. They also confiscated a few of my personal belongings: my badge, my gun, my money, although I don't think I'll be getting that back, and my green Chaos Emerald. I made my exit rather quickly, gathering my things, except for my cash…fucking bastards.

Not having any money, I was forced to track Silver on foot. I couldn't go back to the office, so I went to the library instead. There, they had an archive that was available to detectives only. It contained a list of all the abandoned buildings in town. I flashed my badge at the young girl sitting at the counter and she led me to the back. It didn't take long until I located the list. The only hard part about this was figuring out which one he was hiding in.

There were a multiple number of hospitals that have been off limits for some time now. There was also a doll factory, a motel, a restaurant, and a small plaza mall. I crossed off the sanitarium that was checked out yesterday and wracked my brain for an answer. I decided to look up Silver's file while I was thinking. I came across a bunch of interesting things.

He was from the future, yes. He had helped us defeat Mephiles and Solaris. Then, he returned home. He came back, however. He was never the same. I hardly recognized him when we met up at the office. I guess I didn't want him back in my life.

Anyway, it said that one of his friends died in the very same sanitarium where we found him. He also used to work at the doll factory, and it said that he stayed in the motel for quite a long time before it was burned down. Each building that described a portion of his life was on the list. Does this have something to do with me being accused?

I know I didn't kill anyone. I'm not a sick bastard like that. I may come off as such, but I wouldn't kill anyone I knew. It just wasn't me. What I couldn't understand was why Silver had told them it was me. Why did they believe him to begin with? He was just one victim. Argh. My head hurts.

I gave up an hour later and decided to take a look around the doll factory. I was already wanted for being a serial killer, so sneaking into an off-limit facility wasn't a big add to my record. The place looked as if no one has been around in decades. It was filled with trash and doll parts were scattered everywhere. Boxes sat around in every random place. I had to move quite a few around just to get upstairs. When I did, I noticed a shadow moving about through the hallway. I supposed this floor was used for business, as there were desks and cabinets everywhere, which gave him or her various places to hide.

I followed the figure as best as I could until I was tapped on my shoulder. It scared the shit out of me. But, when I whirled around, no one was there. That scared me even more. As I turned back toward searching for the figure, I was struck on my abdomen. I coughed and accidentally dropped my gun. I couldn't see the face of who was attacking me, as I was hit in the same spot for three times after. I fell to my knees and vomited. And, as I did, I was beaten on the back of the head. I was forced down into the pool of shit in front of me. I blacked out.

I didn't know how long I was unconscious. But, when I came to, I was strapped to a table. My arms and legs were bound, and my midriff hurt too much for me to struggle loose. I stayed there for a bit until I heard footsteps coming my way. A light flickered on above me. I winced at the sudden brightness. I tried to get a glance at who would be in such a place. It was Silver. He was holding a wrench and watched me until I realized who it was.

"You! Why did you do it?" I tried to sit up, but couldn't. The more I struggled, the more my stomach hurt. Eventually, I calmed myself. "Why did you get me arrested?"

Silver laughed. "You're such a silly person. I put you in jail to piss you off." He leaned back in his seat, tapping the wrench against his palm. "I see it worked rather well. How did you find me? Who tipped you off?"

"You're the murderer. You've been killing everyone. You posed as a victim to frame me." I huffed, knowing I was right by his expression. "But, why?" He stood, coming closer with the wrench under his chin.

"Why? Because you destroyed everything I held dear to me." I didn't understand. Silver and I had been good friends. Why this? What have I done? He assumed I was clueless due to my lack of response. "You took everything away from me," He waved the wrench around, and for a moment I thought he was going to beat me again. "You ruined my life!" He threw the tool against the wall near my head. I heard it make contact and break. "So now I'm ruining yours. How's it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?"

My breath was caught in my throat. He _was_ the murderer. That meant he killed Rouge. I still remember the horrified look on her face. I still remember the way Stewy laughed at her. I still remember the way her eyes had been ripped out. "You killed her."

He shook his head, having calmed himself. "No. I hired someone to torture her. My intent was not to kill her. Your reaction was what brought me to killing my victims."

I chuckled. He was too much of a pussy to kill them himself? Somehow, this made me feel better about my current situation. He didn't find it as funny as I did, and slapped me. I growled. "You'll regret this. The police are surely on their way. You'll be caught."

Silver stepped back and giggled wildly. "Me? Caught?" He spoke in an apologetic tone. "Aww, poor Shadow. He thinks the big, bad police are coming to arrest Silver." He smiled. "Well, what's to say you didn't drag me here? What's to say this is _your_ hideout, Shadow?" His smile turned into a sly grin. "What's to say I was just defending myself from a brutal serial killer?" He picked up a nearby knife. "What's to say I was the victim again? Hmm? What are you going to do?"

He was right. The Commander trusted him more than me. I was a criminal in their eyes. If I were killed right now, they would believe Silver. I couldn't let that happen. I attempt to struggle free, but the knife he was holding became lodged in my right leg. I screamed in pain, immediately ceasing my actions for fear of causing myself more harm. I didn't want to admit it, but I was afraid of him. I feel helpless.

"Don't you _ever_ think you can escape me after what you've done." I spat in his face. He pulled the knife out and would've plunged it into my other leg had it not been for the ringing of a cell phone. He walked away, and I let out a sigh of relief. I picked up parts of his conversation. The police were headed this way and would be here within ten minutes. I was thankful. For a moment, I felt a tinge of hope. Until Silver returned. He held a disfigured doll. It was grinning. He placed it down beside a container marked 'Warning'. I wasn't interested in reading it.

"What are you doing?"

He laughed again. "Let me tell you something. I'm leaving. You're staying here." He began to gather his things. "The basement of this factory isn't very stable," He giggled. I was beginning to hate the sound of his voice. "If anything exploded down here, it would bring the entire facility down." He mounted the bag on his back. He paused at the door and turned back to me, giving me a wink. "Toodles." He blew at kiss at me and left.

I turned my head back to the doll. There was a string hanging from its chest that slowly pulled itself inside of the doll. I expect it to say something like 'Mama' or some stupid shit like that. My attention was grabbed by the container it sat next to. It read: 'Warning! Flammable substances!' I shrugged and tried to relax for a bit. My leg hurt like a bitch. I was hungry too. And, to top it all off, I had no way of escaping. Damn. Life sucks, doesn't it?

My thoughts trailed back to what Silver had said. Had I truly ruined his life? I never really thought about it. He was always a happy person whenever I was around. I did hear from Sonic that he had lost Blaze and that his world had become even more chaotic without her. But, what did this have to do with me? It was Mephiles' fault. He should be the one laying here on this table, not me. I've done nothing wrong, have I?

My ears suddenly picked up a ticking sound. I turned back to the doll. The string was fully inside now, and the ring was resting against its cloth-like chest. Its eyes glowed red. My ears perked up. I was curious. Instinct caused me to tilt my head, but it only brought discomfort to my neck. A soft, childish tune began to play. "Hi," It spoke in a young boy's voice, but something wasn't right. "My name is Blow-Up Tommy." What kind of name is that? "I can count backwards." What the hell? "Wanna see?"

I finally caught on. This thing was going to explode. Recalling what Silver said earlier, I began to struggle, despite the pain. I couldn't break free. There was nothing I could do. My hand brushed against the blade he had stabbed me with. Blood stained my glove. I had one chance to get free.

"Ten, nine, eight…"

Fuck.

**All refrences to Condemned 2: Bloodshot belong to SEGA/Everyone else involved.  
Psycho Silver and Co. belong to SEGA/Sonic Team**


	3. Part Three

This is it. I'm leaving the ending up to you and your interpretation.

**Broken  
****Part Three**

Somehow I had freed myself using the knife. That damn doll was down to the number four. Immediately, I snagged the Chaos Emerald that was on the table in the other room. For some reason, Silver was too stupid to take it with him. I teleported away just as the room erupted into flames. Outside, I heard the building begin to crumble. When I glanced over my shoulder, the damn thing was tilting toward me. I cursed under my breath and tried to dash forward. I tripped, my leg engulfed in pain from the wound. I was forced to use Chaos Control again to get to safety.

Once I was certain I had gotten out of harm's way, I collapsed. My leg hurt so damn much, and I could barely move it. To make matters worse, I had lost most of my energy trying to break free from Silver's trap. I had the biggest headache. I stayed there on the ground for a while, thinking. What had I done to him? We fought often until we became partners. Then, I figured we should both push our anger aside. Apparently, he didn't forget. I had a couple things in mind…for explanations on why he would try to kill me. Sonic had once told me about Silver's relationship with Blaze.

She was killed? No, she was sent to another dimension? Argh, I can't fucking remember. Whatever happened to her, he was never the same. He changed for the worse. I suppose I did something to her. I struggled to my feet. I had to find answers. And, the only place I would get them is from Silver. I decided to lay low for a while, seeing as how my leg was too injured for a confrontation at the moment.

I stayed in a motel under a different name for a few days. I couldn't go to the hospital for medical care, so I did it myself. It wasn't much: I hadn't broken anything, so I just wrapped the injury tightly to stop the bleeding. After a couple hours, I was already beginning to feel better. Being the Ultimate Lifeform pays off.

The police could easily find me. I didn't go out in public during the day, but it wasn't as if I changed my appearance. They just didn't care. Hell, I could've killed the damn Commander and they wouldn't give a fuck. They could've also tracked Silver down, since he went missing the day after he was found. Ironically, that was the day I broke out of jail. It's a surprise they weren't concerned.

After about four days or so, I began my search for him again. I carried around a makeshift crutch to support my leg, since it was still healing. Not having my badge, I couldn't return to the library. I was forced to break in at night. I waited across the street in a small café until the last person left, locking the door. I stood and casually walked over. I could've broken the glass on the window then reach in to unlock the door, but that's not me. I shot the hinges using a pistol I had taken. The door fell over and I rushed in.

Before the alarm went off, I had taken Silver's file. I took the exit in the back and, once I figured I was at a safe distance, I flipped it open. The rain began to smear some of the ink, but I had found what I was looking for: the motel he had stayed in.

It was a couple blocks down from one of the abandoned hospitals. I limped my way there, since the rain was soaking through my bandages and practically ripping the thin layer of flesh off my wound. I forced the door open and immediately caught sight of him.

He jumped slightly at the sound the rusted hinges made and whirled around. He was wiping his hands off with a towel. He didn't act surprised to see me. "Morning."

"Shut the hell up. Why did you try to kill me?" He merely shrugged and made his way behind the counter. I noticed we were in the lobby. He flipped through some papers. "Answer my question!" I shouted, furious that he was ignoring me.

"How did you find me?" He asked, looking up. I growled and answered his question first. I told him I had a gut feeling he was the murder, since a serial killer wouldn't leave someone behind like that. The other officers may think he's a genius, but I can see beyond that. "You shouldn't always believe your conscious. It might deceive you." He smiled. I demanded that he give me an answer as to why he started all this. He sighed, and began his story.

"Blaze and I were so happy together," He said, looking down at the desk in front of him. "I loved her dearly, even if she didn't feel the same way. When," He paused, choking on his words. "When she left me…I felt empty inside. It gave me a chance to think about everything, though. It gave me a chance to realize that this is all your fault." He looked up, glaring at me intensely. "_You_ were the one who released Mephiles. _You _were the one who gave him a form. _You _were the one that took her from me." He clenched his fist. "I'm doing the world a favor by riding it of you."

I stepped back as he climbed over the counter and came toward me. "My intention was not to cause you pain."

"Bullshit!" He spat, picking up a nearby crowbar. "You ruined my life! You ruined everything! I hate you!" He lashed out, attempting to hit me with the weapon he held. I knocked him in the stomach with my crutch. He doubled over, coughing.

"What can I do to help you, Silver? It doesn't have to be like this." I stood over him; hand on my pistol in case he tried to attack again. "We can be friends like before."

He laughed, shaking his head and stumbling to his feet. "No. Not unless you bring her back. But, you can't. She's gone forever." He shook his head again. I thought he was going to start crying. Heh. That would be funny.

"Silver, I can't fix her. You're accomplishing nothing by trying to kill me." He locked eyes with me, tears threatening to fall. "I can get you help. If you prove my innocence and turn yourself in, they'll get help for you, I promise." I leaned on my crutch. My leg was starting to hurt again. "I can't fix you. But, I can help dull the pain."

He smiled. For one brief moment, he smiled. I thought everything was done. I thought I had squirmed my way out of death yet again. I was wrong. I had no idea how truly sick-minded Silver was. He struck my head with the crowbar and began to laugh again. "You can't fix me. I'm beyond that."

Having no other choice, I defended myself. I blocked another hit from the crowbar with my arm and knocked him upside the head with my crutch. He fell over, giving me a chance to hit the back of his head. He was surprisingly weak for a serial killer. I had quickly knocked him unconscious. While he was out, I dragged him into an isolated room and tied him to a chair that sat in the corner. I seated myself on the floor opposite to the chair, sighing.

What have I gotten myself into? I should've stayed with Sonic. Maybe he could've helped. My thoughts were interrupted when Silver stirred. He was quick to recover from anything, probably because of his mental capacity. He struggled for a bit until he saw me. "You tied me to a chair?" He snorted. "That's the best you could do?" He threw his head back and laughed. "I'm still going to kill you."

I stood. For some reason, I didn't give a damn about dying anymore. "I just want to talk with you." I held up my hands to show I meant no harm. He tilted his head. "I don't want you to end up like this, Silver."

He giggled. "Too late."

I refused to believe it. I refused to believe someone couldn't be fixed. If only I could say the same about myself… "I'm going to call the police, and they're going to help you."

"Ha! Do you honestly believe that, detective?" He smiled. "You should know better. The police won't do shit. They haven't done anything to protect this city in years. That's why this place has gone to hell in a hand basket." I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. "Don't be silly, Shadow! One of us has to die." He lowered his head. "Kill me now, or it'll be you."

This guy was seriously fucked up. He actually wanted me to kill him.

But, after all this time, I think I'm beginning to see what he means.

Deep down, we're all broken. Each and every one of us has something to hide. And, we each have our own way of dealing with the problem. It's only after we see someone else suffering that we feel satisfaction. There's only one truth here: We're all broken, and no one can fix us.

**Shadow and Co. belong to SEGA/Sonic Team**


End file.
